The Fate of the Furious

2017’s “The Fate of the Furious”, directed by F. Gary Gray.

Starring Vin Diesel, The Rock, Charlize Theron, Tyrese Gibson, Jason Statham, Nathalie Emmanuel, Scott Eastwood, Kurt Russell, Kristofer Hivju, and Helen Mirren.

The Fast and the Furious is a remarkably unique franchise, given that it opened in 2001 with a decent if unspectacular showing. It lost some energy in subsequent sequels (Tokyo Drift anyone?), and all of a sudden found it’s legs, and grew into a dynamic and self confident creature where the ties of it’s self contained family are as strong as the watts of horsepower operating in the multitudes of cars zipping through the streets. It really seems to know what it is, and it’s been described as, “critic proof”. F8’s $1.2 billion gross would support that theory.

Aided by Bryan Tyler’s engrossing opening music, we zoom into Havana, Cuba, where Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez honeymoon in their beachfront villa with flowing drapes. They spend their daytime hours as American cultural experts explaining to locals that it’s important for them not to lose their native spirit, and policing street races should they lose their sense of street justice. After creating a new definition of hot wheels, Diesel is approached by Charlize Theron (doing her best with a limited script), a renowned terrorist cyber hacker. With an offer he cannot refuse, Diesel goes rogue. We know this, because the term “rogue” is used gratuitously. No longer just about street racing or even cops and robbers, F8 finds our heroes becoming something close to secret agents. Characters such as The Rock, Ludacris, Michelle Rodriguez, and Tyrese Gibson bicker constantly while driving hot rods and performing hilarious stunts, like a Saturday morning cartoon. The action sometimes is skillfully done, but there are also scenes approaching Michael Bay-like in their incoherence. As the gang’s swaths of vehicles work to thwart Diesel from sending up nuclear launch codes from a submarine below ice, we see more old frenemies enter the fray, and the introduction of a theme not really seen since the 80’s- baby reaction shots to gunplay and violence. While at times the movie’s exposition can be as painful as a weekly trial and error television show, Gray makes sure that we can get back to rap and rims ASAP.

I don’t know if I was ever a Paul Walker fan, however the movie makes his absence felt, but then cops out when acknowledging the very same thing. Wouldn’t the movie have been stronger if they said he was passed (as in real life)? Instead, they say he’s “away”, like in he’s in Thailand or something, and the gang is just too honourable to disturb him and his partner from their sabbatical. Gibson’s usual obnoxiousness only deepens Walker’s bro absence. And Diesel’s forceful silence can at times be as over the top as the plethora of cables the cars all shoot out to stop other cars. But one thing Diesel is always prepared to break his code of wise silence about, is that it’s always about family (sequels/spin-offs)- and tobogganing.

2.5/5

Trailer: Click Here.